In February, France goes skiing in three waves. The 2027 French school winter holidays run from Saturday 6 February to Monday 8 March, one zone after another, and each week has its own character: more or fewer people on the pistes, more or fewer chalets still free. Here are the official dates, the weeks that fill up fastest and what is on in the resorts, so you can pick your week knowing what to expect, then your chalet from our rentals in the Alps.
February 2027 at a glance
- Zone C, which includes Paris and the whole of Île-de-France: Saturday 6 to Monday 22 February 2027.
- Zone A, which includes Lyon, Grenoble and Bordeaux: Saturday 13 February to Monday 1 March 2027.
- Zone B, which includes Lille, Marseille, Nantes and Strasbourg: Saturday 20 February to Monday 8 March 2027.
- The weekend of 20 and 21 February: the only one when all three zones are on holiday at once.
The official dates, zone by zone
The calendar set by the Éducation nationale, the French education ministry, has lessons ending on the Saturday and starting again on the Monday morning. For pupils who have no school on Saturdays, the ministry specifies that the holiday begins on the Friday after lessons.
- Zone C: the académies, or education authorities, of Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse and Versailles. It therefore covers Paris and the whole of Île-de-France. Holidays from Saturday 6 to Monday 22 February 2027.
- Zone A: the académies of Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon and Poitiers. Holidays from Saturday 13 February to Monday 1 March 2027. Corsica follows the same dates.
- Zone B: the académies of Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes and Strasbourg. Holidays from Saturday 20 February to Monday 8 March 2027.
The four weeks of February
If you rent a chalet from Saturday to Saturday, February falls into four weeks. Families from neighbouring countries also travel on set dates.
| Week in 2027 | Zones on holiday | Neighbours on holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 13 February | Zone C | Flanders, canton of Vaud |
| 13 to 20 February | Zones A and C | Canton of Geneva, schools in several London boroughs, southern Netherlands |
| 20 to 27 February | Zones A and B | Wallonia-Brussels, northern and central Netherlands |
| 27 February to 6 March | Zone B | Wallonia-Brussels |
No full week brings all three zones together. On Saturday 20 February, however, zone C heads home just as zone B arrives: the big changeover of the month. In the Netherlands, the dates are recommended by the government, and schools may depart from them. In the United Kingdom, each local authority sets its own.
The weeks that fill up fastest
Last winter, the mountain resort observatory run by the ANMSM and Atout France published forecast occupancy rates week by week. In the Northern Alps, the two middle weeks, with two zones on holiday, reached 93% and 90%. The two outer weeks, with a single zone, stopped at 71% and 72%. The observatory put the dip down to only one zone being on holiday and to the absence of foreign visitors in those weeks.
2027 follows the same pattern, with one difference: Flanders is on holiday in the first week, Wallonia-Brussels in the last two. Nobody can yet say what that will change. If winter 2027 resembles the last one, the weeks of 13 and 20 February will remain the most sought after.
AEC tip. For resorts that should be quieter, aim for the week of 6 February or the week of 27 February. For the weeks of 13 and 20 February, the most sought after last winter, book the chalet and the children’s ski lessons as early as this autumn.
Book early, from the chalet to the ski lessons
The ski schools say so themselves. The ESF ski school in Alpe d’Huez advises booking “by 15 November at the latest for the February school holidays”. The one in Courchevel 1850 points out that its capacity “is indeed limited, especially in high season”. Méribel’s recommends that you “book your lessons as early as possible”.
For lift passes, most ski areas encourage you to buy online to avoid queuing at the ticket office. In Megève, an Évasion pass of 6 to 21 days bought online at least 10 days before your first day on the slopes earns you a free day. Chalets, for their part, are rented from Saturday to Saturday: our guide to renting a luxury chalet explains the down payment, the security deposit and the tourist tax.
What is on in the resorts in February
In France, February is not the month for major competitions: so far, the International Ski Federation calendar lists no World Cup events then. The Alpine World Ski Championships, meanwhile, are being held in Switzerland, at Crans-Montana, from 1 to 14 February 2027. French resorts rely instead on regular events designed for the holidays.
- Megève: a sledging evening every Tuesday of the holidays at the foot of the Rochebrune cable car (9, 16 and 23 February, 2 March), on Thursdays at Mont d’Arbois, and every Friday at 6pm the ESF celebrates its étoiles, the ski level badges, on the village square with the children from its lessons (12, 19 and 26 February, 5 March).
- Méribel: carnival and mascot day on 9 February, night sledging on “Himalaya by night” at Mottaret several evenings a week, and ESF torchlight descents.
- Val Thorens: carnival on 9 February and Valentine’s Day on the 14th, with the 2027 programmes still to be published.
- Les Gets: the Red Ski Show, an evening performance by the resort’s professionals and the ESF, on 8, 15 and 22 February and 1 March; charity torchlight descents on 10, 18 and 24 February and 3 March.
- La Clusaz: freestyle week in early February, with European Cup big air and slopestyle events, carnival on 9 February, and a ski show on Mondays 15 and 22 February.
- Val d’Isère: ESF torchlight descents on the Face de Bellevarde on Tuesdays 16 and 23 February, weather permitting.
- Courchevel: one evening a week until February, the Millet Ski Touring, a night ski-mountaineering race from Le Praz to Courchevel 1850 and one of the events in our guide to what to do in Courchevel in winter; according to the tourist office, its final at the end of February draws more than 2500 participants every year.
Where to go in February
In February, every major resort in the Northern Alps is open. Their 2026-2027 seasons, announced subject to snow conditions, are set out in our guide to ski resort opening dates:
| Resort | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|
| Courchevel | 4 December 2026 | 18 April 2027 |
| Méribel | 5 December 2026 | 18 April 2027 |
| Val Thorens | 21 November 2026 | 2 May 2027 |
| Val d’Isère | 28 November 2026 | 2 May 2027 |
| Tignes | 21 November 2026 | 2 May 2027 |
| Megève | 19 December 2026 (main opening) | 4 April 2027 |
| Les Gets | 19 December 2026 (full opening) | 11 April 2027 |
| La Clusaz | 5 December 2026 | 25 April 2027 |
| Alpe d’Huez | 5 December 2026 | 25 April 2027 |
So the question is not which resort is open, but which one suits you. Our comparisons will help you decide, from Megève or Courchevel to Val d’Isère or Tignes, and our guide to family ski holidays covers childcare, lessons and children’s lift passes.
Where to stay
Our chalets and apartments are grouped by resort: Courchevel, Méribel, Val d’Isère, Megève or Les Gets. The simplest way is to write to us: tell us your February dates and how many of you there will be, and our agents will send you a selection for the week you have chosen. For a large group, our chalets for 10 people and our chalets for 20 people make the choice easier; for other holidays, see our guides to a family Christmas on the slopes and Easter ski holidays.
All that is left is to choose your week. The rest comes down to one image: the first tracks of the morning on a piste that is still empty.
Frequently asked questions
What are the French February 2027 school holiday dates?
According to the official Éducation nationale calendar: zone C from Saturday 6 to Monday 22 February, zone A from Saturday 13 February to Monday 1 March, and zone B from Saturday 20 February to Monday 8 March 2027. Corsica follows zone A.
Which school holiday zone are Paris and Île-de-France in?
Zone C, along with the académies of Créteil, Paris and Versailles, as well as Toulouse and Montpellier: holidays from Saturday 6 to Monday 22 February 2027.
What is the busiest week in the Alps in February 2027?
Probably the weeks of 13 to 20 and 20 to 27 February, when two zones are on holiday at the same time. In 2026, the equivalent weeks showed forecast occupancy rates of 90% or more in the Northern Alps, according to the ANMSM and Atout France observatory. The weekend of 20 and 21 February brings all three zones together.
Which February week is quietest for skiing?
The single-zone weeks, 6 to 13 February and 27 February to 6 March. In 2026, the equivalent weeks showed forecast occupancy rates of 71% and 72% in the Northern Alps. In 2027, however, Flanders and Wallonia-Brussels are on holiday in those weeks.
When should I book ski lessons for February?
As early as possible. The ESF in Alpe d’Huez advises booking by 15 November at the latest for the February holidays, and the one in Courchevel 1850 before mid-December.
Are all the ski resorts open in February?
Yes. The major resorts of the Northern Alps open between 21 November and 19 December 2026 and close between 4 April and 2 May 2027, subject to snow conditions.
When are the Belgian and English school holidays in February 2027?
Schools in Wallonia-Brussels have their winter break from 22 February to 7 March 2027, and those in Flanders from 8 to 14 February. In the United Kingdom, each local authority sets its own dates: several London boroughs have chosen the week of 15 to 19 February for the schools they are responsible for.
